1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for facilitating and simplifying safe insertion and removal of rotational output boxes in busway bar power distribution systems/installations using particularly configured components and component systems to form output box guides and/or output box inhibitor systems providing physical connectivity, and circuit protection to a user's load.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the power distribution industry and the associated market have seen significant increases in the use of busway bar systems, implementations and components for power distribution in various applications. A growing market segment deals with meeting the extensive power distribution requirements for the many and varied electronic and electrical system components that are installed in large data centers. Flexibility in configurations and installations for the electrically-driven and/or powered electronic components in these data centers led to a requirement for flexible, and on-site adaptable, power distribution systems that are easily reconfigurable, often by non-licensed end-user personnel, to place the installed electrical power source receptacles (output boxes) where they are needed without loose wiring being hazardously routed throughout the data center or in any portion thereof.
Power distribution systems including busway bar components have been deployed in large data centers, and in support of other industrial and manufacturing requirements, since the late 1990's. Busway bar component power distribution systems continue to capture an increasing percentage of the data center power distribution market based on the flexibility that these power distribution systems provide in power distribution network configuration and re-configuration, and a coincident growing familiarity with their use.
The data center market was historically serviced by flexible power cord “whips” that were fed from wall-mounted power panels, generally referred to as remote power panels (RPPs), within the data centers. These power cord whips provided the connections to power the computers and various electronic data storage, data server and data processing components installed in the data center. The power cord whips were typically routed from fixed-location power distribution strips through raised-floor plenums that were used to provide cooling air to the computers and various electronic data storage, data server and data processing components installed in fixed locations within the data centers. These data center installations were generally inflexible in supporting configurations of computing and data processing components that were pre-planned and static (generally unchangeable) once installed. Reconfiguration of the raised-floor air handling plenums and associated re-routing of power distribution components, including the power cord whips, was generally considered such a major undertaking that it would only be attempted in the context of a complete structural overhaul of the data center.
The explosion in data handling requirements in the last two-plus decades led to a corresponding requirement that the modern large data center be generally flexibly field configurable/re-configurable in order to provide for a most efficient use of the structural spaces within which the computing and data processing components are housed in the modern large data center. This requirement for flexibility has manifested itself within the power distribution industry/market as defining a need for a more user-friendly power distribution system that addresses shortfalls in inflexibility associated with the traditional cumbersome and rigid under floor power distribution systems, including the significant restrictions on access to power distribution components, and a general lack in any simple manner by which to reconfigure the power distribution system within a particular space, as needs may arise, after initial configuration and installation.
Overhead busway bar power distribution systems were introduced to address certain of the shortfalls enumerated above. These busway bar power distribution systems today provide an appropriate capacity for reconfiguration of power distribution networks to support evolving needs within the large data centers. As widespread use of busway bar power distribution systems has taken hold, certain safety considerations have arisen that need to be addressed. It is reasonably easy to understand that power distribution systems that were generally inaccessible under raised flooring components tended to produce little risk to end-user personnel operating within a particular space in an industrial environment such as a data center. Overhead busway bar power distribution systems are, by their very nature, “open” to users within a particular space. As these systems have matured, safety considerations have evolved in parallel with an evolution of their structural integrity. Overhead busway bar power distribution systems are UL857-listed, for example, meaning that these systems are finger probe safe and rated to 600 VAC or 600 VDC. These limitations allow non-licensed personnel to undertake certain service tasks that include installing the output boxes that are components of these systems. The power distribution industry has marketed these systems as user-friendly and user-safe for installing and removing the output boxes without the need for licensed electricians. As a result, the installation base for these busway bar power distribution systems is very large, i.e., encompassing literally hundreds of miles of installed busway.
There are numerous manufacturers of busway bar power distribution systems and the associated installation components, including output boxes. Many conventional busway bar power distribution systems in use employ what is referred to as a “stab in” method for insertion and/or removal of the output boxes in the busway bars. With these stab in installations, it is generally difficult to attempt to, or to actually, incorrectly install an output box in, or remove an output box from, the busway bar in a manner that may damage the output box or expose the individual conducting the installation/removal to a hazard of electrocution.